Puerto Rico’s Zoológico Dr. Juan A. Rivero is located in the municipality of Mayaguez, a two hour trip by car from San Juan. The zoo is home to a wide range of animals with over 600 species of mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and arthropods, making the drive down to the island’s less tourist-packed western coast all the more worthwhile.

One of the largest draws for locals tends to be the large mammals, including hippos, rhinos, and tigers, among many others not normally found roaming this small Caribbean island. The beloved Mundi the elephant is perhaps the best known of these animals, popular among Puerto Rico’s schoolchildren who come to visit from all over the island.

Recent additions to the zoo include an aviary as well as an insect museum. At the aviary, a large area enclosed by netting, visitors are able to walk among the birds along a raised pathway. The zoo also boasts a “mariposario,” a similar exhibit where butterflies fly freely and perch on lucky visitors.

Other services include educational programs and conservation efforts for local species, including a marine mammal rescue hospital. This noble initiative guarantees rescued animals – such as this two-and-a-half month old baby manatee – a sheltered place in which to recover through proper feeding, medical treatment, and careful monitoring, before returning to life in their natural ecosystems.

The Zoológico Dr. Juan A. Rivero carries out this mission of protection and preservation all throughout its facilities. And animals, considered as much guests to the zoo as humans, are treated with utmost respect in the hopes that visitors from all over the world will do the same.